Chess Pieces
by subvintage
Summary: Lelouch attempts to teach Kallen how to play chess, but ends up learning a little something himself.


Kallen actually would have loved to play volleyball with the rest of her gym class right now. The prospect of working out a little misplaced aggression seemed very therapeutic. She had been very close to taking that chance and telling their instructor that she felt well enough to attempt to play when Shirley swooped in, very frantically, and sent her off to the student council room instead. Proclaiming that she didn't want Kallen to get hurt and that this would be the perfect opportunity for her to finish that work Milly had left for her that she conveniently ditching out on the past few days.

It wouldn't have been any fun to just sit on the sidelines and watch anyway. Though being stuck in the student council room alone with paperwork wasn't really her idea of a thrill either. She sighed making her way into the room only to stop short when she noticed she wasn't going to be in here alone at all.

Lelouch was sitting at the far end of the table with a chess set laid out neatly in front of him. He was staring at the pieces laid out on the board before him so intently that Kallen wasn't even sure that he noticed she entered the room. "Skipping gym again, Lelouch?" Kallen asked her tone slightly more biting than one she normally addressed her fellow classmates with. There was just something about him that caused her to instantly going on either the attack or the defensive.

He didn't even look up. Contrary to what she may have thought he did notice when she came in. Lelouch just hadn't bothered with addressing her. He knew she'd probably speak first anyway. "Don't be ridiculous Kallen." He said with an amused tone as he moved one of the pieces on the board. "I also skipped my first three classes."

Kallen rolled her eyes, but watched him for a moment as she grabbed a folder off one of the shelves. "Are you seriously playing against yourself?" She asked slapping the folder against the table and seating herself in front of it.

It was something like that. As odd as it may have appeared he did his best thinking and strategizing when he played it out on the chess board. "You're very lively today," He noted not bothering with her question as twirled the black queen piece between his fingers. "Perhaps you should have given gym class a shot."

She instantly became flustered. "W-Well I would have." She stammered meekly. "But Shirley insisted otherwise and the president wanted me to finish up this work I kept forgetting about so I came here." Inwardly in aggravated Kallen to no end how easily Lelouch would pick apart her façade.

He looked over at her now with an amused smirk on his face. "I see," He said putting the piece back down and moving it forward now. "I ran out of suitable challengers." He said flatly. "So I've taken to playing against myself."

Kallen bit back on the impulse to scoff at that statement. "Mm." She made a small noise keeping her eyes on the papers in front of her. Really of all the cocky, arrogant statements a person could make. Something about that tone of his made her want to throw every one of those pieces at his head.

He could tell that she was trying to tune him out now though. He wondered if he should feel bad about teasing her like this. Though it was so oddly endearing that couldn't help but quietly push her buttons. He, however, reasoned to himself that her performance with the Black Knights was usually better when she was a little ticked off so it was his duty as their leader to push her there every once in awhile. "Do you know how to play, Kallen?" He asked.

She actually tore her gaze away from the work in front of her when he asked her that question. "Huh?" She responded at first before she fully registered what she had been asked. "Oh, no I don't."

"Do you want to learn?" He asked. "Perhaps then I could have an actual opponent. Since you seem to disapprove so much of me playing against myself."

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I hardly think I'd be able to give you a challenging match." She responded dully. He was teasing her again wasn't he?

"I didn't think you would." He said arranging the pieces back to their starting positions. He looked over at her gauging to see her reaction to that comment.

A glare set in. "So what?" She said shutting her folder and leaning in his direction. "You want to teach me just so you can humiliate me in a match."

"Well I could go easy on you if you wish." He said casually.

"Alright teach me." She snapped back. It was almost personal now. She wanted to learn so she could beat him and wipe that horribly smug little grin off his face. Even though the rational part of her mind is telling her that she really has no hope of beating him. Ever.

"This," He said holding up one of the pieces with a small smirk. "Is the queen. She's you're most powerful piece. " He paused looking at her. Kallen was staring at him very intently as he explained now he held back an amused laugh as he offered the piece in question to her. "She can move as many spaces as she wants in any direction."

"As many as she wants?" Kallen echoed taking the queen from it turning it over in her hand.

"Well as long as it isn't already occupied."

"So she's the most important." She stated with a bit of a triumphant smirk. "I think I like the queen."

"Well, no." He said picking up the king's piece now. "The king would be the most important."

Kallen looked at the piece Lelouch had no scrutinizing it a bit. "Him? How many spaces can he move then?"

"Just one." He said frowning at her now as she seemed to be giving a mocking stare towards the king upon hearing that. "Unless we wanted to get into castling but I figure we should stick to the basics right now."

"That's pretty weak." Kallen said in a somewhat haughty tone. "If he's so important why's he so restricted?"

Lelouch gave her an annoyed glance. "The king doesn't have to be all powerful if he has the queen." He said snatching the queen's piece back from her. "Being powerful doesn't automatically make you the most important." He stated flatly.

She propped her chin up in her hand looking at him curiously. "You're taking this awfully seriously." She said teasing. "I get it though," She said with a small smile. "The queen uses her power to aid the king then? Because he's the most important?"

"Yes." Lelouch answered with a sigh. "You see whoever loses their king will lose the game."

Kallen looked at him and then just shook her head. "No, that doesn't make sense."

He froze a moment caught off guard by her statement. How could it not make sense? It was fairly basic. "How?"

"Because the queen is still there." She said pointing at the board as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. For Kallen, it seemed the simple explanation of a game of chess had taken a more metaphorical twist.

"So?"

"So!" She said leaning over the table now and grabbing his hand make the cautious effort to pry the king from it. "If the queen can still fight then she'll rescue the king back no matter what."

Lelouch smirked a bit allowing her to take the king from his hand now. Though clearly not within the rules of the game Lelouch was finding a bit of comfort in Kallen's statement. "Oh?" He asked amused.

"What?" She said giving him her own mischievous grin. "That doesn't make sense to you?"

He wondered how willing Kallen would be to protect the king if she knew who the king was. Not that he couldn't quietly enjoy the moment right now. He wondered if she'd still feel that way if she knew it was him.

"It-." He had opened his mouth to answer her question when the doors to the room slid open once again admitting Shirley.

"Lulu!" Shirley huffed regarding him in a scolding manner. "Is this where you've been hiding all day? You've really got to stop skipping classes."

"I'm sorry." He said offering her an apologetic smile. "I just figured I would stay in here and keep Kallen company since she can't enjoy gym class like the rest of us."

Lelouch looked over at the girl in question who had placed the king and queen next to each other on the board before turning to the two of them. "I'm terribly sorry you'll have to finish teaching me later. I really need to get home I have a…." Kallen trailed off searching for an excuse to go home now. "Doctors appointment."

Her voice had lost the fire and passion it had moments before, though Lelouch nod offering her a friendly smile. "Some other time then." He said. "I'll see you later."

She nodded in response before slipping out the door. Lelouch looked over at the clock. Later would come sooner than Kallen thought. He knew where she was really going. The Black Knights were going to have a meeting within the next hour or so he himself had been planning to slip away shortly as well.

"I hope she's okay." Shirley commented when Kallen had left the room. "It can't be very much fun to never be able to participate in activities."

Lelouch tilted his head and looked over towards the door. "I think she'll be just fine." He stated with certainty as he looked back over at the pieces she had arranged on the table. He had obviously made the right choice when it came to his queen.

* * *

**Author Note: **This was just a little something that got throw together when I was at work and terribly bored. It's been awhile since I actually played so I tried to keep it as basic as possible. Especially since explaning it all out in a story would probably start to get boring.


End file.
